Please Support Net Neutrality (Archive)

What is net neutrality?

Net neutrality is the principle that Internet service providers and governments regulating the Internet should treat all data on the Internet the same, not discriminating or charging differentially by user, content, website, platform, application, type of attached equipment, or mode of communication.[1] The term was coined by Columbia Universitymedia law professor Tim Wu in 2003, as an extension of the longstanding concept of a common carrier, which was used to describe the role of telephone systems.[2][3][4][5]

The loss of net neutrality would allow companies like Comcast and Verizon to charge higher rates for faster service, so websites that do not pay those fees would load more slowly. This means that internet service providers would be in a position to control who is heard over the internet.

What is happening now?

The FCC’s new chairman, Ajit Pai, has made a proposal to weaken the rules that ensure net neutrality. Many organizations have mobilized to encourage citizens to send a message to the FCC in support of net neutrality.